Strategic Plan

Our Strategy for Excellence

I am energized by the participation and creativity of our faculty, staff, and students, all of whom worked with pride and passion to help develop our Strategy for Excellence. This inclusive process engaged our entire community through the work of specific teams, discussions at several town hall meetings, and breakout sessions at a faculty retreat. As we move our strategy into action, please keep in mind that we must always carry on the work of the day – the essential functions of a school of dentistry. A new strategy does not supersede these important daily functions; instead, the new strategy outlines the key activities we will perform to realize our vision.

This strategy includes our shared vision, mission, and values, and it represents the blueprint of our path forward. By continually evaluating our key performance indicators, we are committed to staying focused on achieving our goals, which are to:

• Cultivate big ideas for dental education and research that shape our profession;

• Reach beyond the walls of our school to develop meaningful partnerships within our great University and diverse community; and

• Set the standard for new models of integrative health care training for future oral health providers and leaders in dental education.

Our common purpose is to develop future academic and community leaders who have the confidence, capabilities, and ethical decision-making skills to improve the oral and general health of our communities. By acting on our new strategy we come together to ensure UCLA School of Dentistry achieves this shared purpose.

I would like to thank the entire UCLA School of Dentistry community for participating in the creation of this document, especially those who served on the Strategy Development Team and the Culture Action Team. You helped to develop this strategy document into the major contribution I know it will be to the future of our school, to our profession, and to all the individuals who will benefit from our performance and growth.